If anyone has done commercial painting for a living help

[87112]

I have been out of work for over one year. I failed all my office job interviews and now I am # 8 on the commercial painting list. It would be indoor painting such as condos, business, etc. Is the work drop dead tiring? I had a get fat office job for over 10 years and now worried that maybe I can't hack that job, Its the heat in summer the someone tells me wears you out. I am 46 yo so that is a consideration doing labor work. It pays 17 per hr to start and its a union gig, I wonder what to do when its winter and I have no work. But I can only do what I can, since the corp world does not want me anymore. To sum it up " no choice".
I was about to be a bus driver part time but was way too honest in my personality access test, I answer as a not perfect person would, you know sometimes I call in sick when I am not like twice in one year and sometimes don't like to be around people all the time.
I thought being honest would get me further down the chain but I was rejected within one hour by email. I did the answers honestly since I thought the software would weed out all the bull crap people who say the never call sick or love everyone they work with.

For those of you here who think a job only pays 20-30 bucks an hour is for losers you need a reality check outside your cubicle. Only a small amount of time can bring you from a hire able person to someone who has to borrow money to live, I am applying for more public assistance soon. It was that tranlink thread where 20-30 bucks per hour is tiny money. What world are you living in to say that?

You should go to these job fairs where so many younger , better looking people are out to get that cushy, comfortable white collar job and know your time has run out in the field. It will make you look at people who do bus driving, cleaning, and labor work different. Its a young person's world once you get past 40 something.

 

[sybian]

Painting isn't drop dead tiring work....unless your painting bridges...In the winter your work does slow a little ,and it'll move indoors to were it's heated...Paint does have to dry.
I was in construction for years before I moved onto my little Ranch here.....You'll be fine.
Just put your head down and do your job well...Someone will notice if they can do their job right.
There's lots of sideline work you'll pick up for cash as well. That happens in every part of construction.
As far as your age...In the building trades , contractors are looking for people who have a little pride, and take their time in what they do...You not being a pimply faced kid, living in your parents basement, with your nose stuck to your I-phone is a good thing.
I would love to have a string of seasoned old Cowboys working for me, and i do have a few...but there's always a kid thrown in there with inexperience, and the youthful attitude that he's going to show me how it's done.
Funny thing is...It takes three twenty year olds, to do the work of one veteran Cowboy.
Oh...and if they supply you with a harness, and lifeline with a bounce strap.......USE IT!!!

 

[Vitargo]

For those of you here who think a job only pays 20-30 bucks an hour is for losers you need a reality check outside your cubicle.

Most people are lucky to make even $20

 

[87112]

Question- rather easy one for you Sybian. In the construction/labor world do the employers let the workers in a 8 hr day take 2 10 min breaks and a lunch?
I found out after my office job was finished that UPS and the Post office do not let workers take breaks defined by the law.
I worked for UPS during the Holidays and only got to eat for half an hour No breaks whatsoever outside of that even if you work 8-10 hours. The driver did not take one either its an unwritten rule at UPS and if you don't like it they have another holiday helper to call.
I quit my job as a letter carrier last fall, actually I was a trainee, they abuse worse than UPS, the only way to make your rounds in 8 hrs was to skip meal breaks completely at times. I did not want to abuse my body daily like that so I quit.

I'm hoping that construction field would permit a worker to rest since if your body is toast with no breaks how can you do a good job?

 

[sybian]

I always let the guys take their breaks...and i took mine was i was an employee.
If the job is Union, that should be enforced by your Union Rep. To tell you the truth i've never worked Union, and if i wanted a break , I freakin' well took one...and if you wanna see a very grouchy Red Neck,...Just make me skip a meal. When I was framing houses, or doing concrete work, I'd eat 5 meals a day because I had too. Nobody said nothing because they all were doing the same thing.
Just buddy up with a veteran old painter who's worn his heels down on the job...He or She will show you what to do...and what not to do.
What one person can do, another can do...Just relax ,and remember that.

 

[Larry Storch]

I hope everything works out for you. Is there any way you can do what you were doing before on your own? Or could you contract those skills out or offer them online? Teach them? If you do get the job painting maybe you might consider doing something else on the side. Maybe talk to the GC (general contractor) of any painting jobs and find out who is doing the clean up. Even if you just do the windows it can bring in a few extra dollars. There is a ton of info on Youtube on washing windows etc. Sometimes thinking outside the box a little can be beneficial.

 

[westwoody]

If you are willing to work, and I mean really work, you can do very well in construction trades.

I have two friends who are builders and they are always crying about how hard it is to get workers of any kind. I started working on the side for them a few years ago as a general labourer. My buddy was putting a new roof of some rich folks house...this was a BIG house. He had a crew of five and two guys didn't show. So he calls me and asked if I could help. Two days' work and paid a couple of hundred cash. Worked over 12 hours both days though.

Sometimes a house sits for days because they can't get an electrician or plumber, or some tradesman no-shows. Demand for trades guys with papers is incredible. I met a journeyman who does new home construction and has jobs booked months in advance. If you want to get into construction get a trade apprenticeship.

BTW honda, totally agree with how hard it is to get a cushy job. Good luck.

 

[carvesg]

The work is not drop dead tiring unless you are doing lots of exterior painting which would require lots of handling of multiple length ladders from the 30 something pound 24 footer to the 120 pound 80 footer which is rare around Vancouver . The norm is the 24' to 32' foot ladder around here but in mountainous terrain good luck . The climbing up and down ladders all day will keep you in shape for sure .

As for the work during the winter it's all about reputation... if you do excellent work the contractors will keep during the winter downtime , especially if you are punctual. I would try to get hired by a contractor that does high end work somewhat to have a better chance to avoid work stoppage during the lean months and better wages .

Everyone needs to respect the 15 min break for every 2 hours of work as per bc labour law and it's good for the team spirit and better production by the end of the day.

 

[bootyman69]

...In the construction/labor world do the employers let the workers in a 8 hr day take 2 10 min breaks and a lunch?
I found out after my office job was finished that UPS and the Post office do not let workers take breaks defined by the law....

Under the law, the British Columbia Employment Standards Act, so called coffee breaks are not required. Only a meal break is required after 5 hours of continuous work.

bootyman69

 

[badbadboy]

The work is not drop dead tiring unless you are doing lots of exterior painting which would require lots of handling of multiple length ladders from the 30 something pound 24 footer to the 120 pound 80 footer which is rare around Vancouver . The norm is the 24' to 32' foot ladder around here but in mountainous terrain good luck . The climbing up and down ladders all day will keep you in shape for sure .

As for the work during the winter it's all about reputation... if you do excellent work the contractors will keep during the winter downtime , especially if you are punctual. I would try to get hired by a contractor that does high end work somewhat to have a better chance to avoid work stoppage during the lean months and better wages .

Everyone needs to respect the 15 min break for every 2 hours of work as per bc labour law and it's good for the team spirit and better production by the end of the day.

Yah you have summarized it pretty well. Dealing with a few trades, contractors, dry waller's and painters over the years you tend to find out a few things about their work.

A contractor who runs four large crews in the summer time doing 3 story apartment buildings told me his crews go from about 24 guys to 4 or 5 in the winter. Most of these painters will work for 10 months of the year flat-out and then do two months in Mexico in Jan/Feb. The paint jobs I hired him for were for high walls and ceilings. There was a lot of lugging of paint containers up the ladders to their platform. At the end of the job they indicated they really earned their pay.

One of the contractors I have hired in the past told me dry wallers (good ones) and good painters are hard to find. He said the work ethic of some crews is quite poor and if he finds a good crew; he offers bonuses to keep them.

 

[Cock Throppled]

Do what you have to do Honda. Look at it as an opportunity to not only stay in the work force and earn a decent living, but as a workout to get in better shape.

There is so much money swirling around some people get snobbish and think they would never work for less than whatever. Work is work. I took whatever was offered from green chain to door to door sales to sweeping floors until I was eventually running two successful businesses.

 

[johnsmit]

Wages have dropped .in the last 6 yrs.. I was in construction for over 30 yrs.. usually just contract or Labour contract . Where I charges $30 ... $32 an hr..other were getting $35 ... $40. .with out a problem .just a little higher end work...
Now I see builder offering $25 and you need all the tools plus run a crew... but again there are some add say up to $30..

Of course I am in the same boat the poster is in .. I am 60 And been out of it for 5 yrs or so .. by chose.. but I also could do with the higher wage..

I kind of settled for driving jobs.. but one the escort driving was ok... but has to be available 20 hrs a day. Every day. Just to make enough ..But in the end the work just diapered. .and I had to find a new job..
Now I work as a car transporter. . Contract . $80. To $100 a day ..4 or 5 day on average.. For the hrs I work. I make less then min wage
Yes we do what we have to do .

 

[westwoody]

Under the law, the British Columbia Employment Standards Act, so called coffee breaks are not required. Only a meal break is required after 5 hours of continuous work.

bootyman69

Canada Post is federally regulated and is immune from provincial laws. UPS may be also.

 

[bootyman69]

Canada Post is federally regulated and is immune from provincial laws. UPS may be also.

Even so, the Canada Labour Code only governs maximum hours of work and does not mandate break times. It leaves this matter up to individual collective agreements.

http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/L-2/index.html

bootyman69

 

[1nitestan]

My husband used to be a painter in is own business. He started off doing painting and then added handyman stuff and them became an interior renovator doing bathrooms and kitchens. I have helped him with his work and painting isn't so bad. It will make you sweat and climbing up and down you step up ladder can be a bit wearing, but in the heat is the best time to do it. I wouldn't bock at a job that's union and starts you at $17 an hour. Sometimes you have to start ground level to move up and I am sure you will get pretty good benefits too.

This is what you have to do in order to grow your income. Diversify and expand your skill set. Your past office job has set you up pretty nicely for dealing with people professionally. A lot of people who've only had trades exposure won't have this skill. Suck up construction knowledge like a sponge. Chances are you'll be working along side other trades so watch and learn. One day you'll have enough knowledge to go "indy" and book your own jobs and mange your own business.

 

[PierreCoeur]

I have been out of work for over one year. I failed all my office job interviews and now I am # 8 on the commercial painting list. It would be indoor painting such as condos, business, etc. Is the work drop dead tiring? I had a get fat office job for over 10 years and now worried that maybe I can't hack that job, Its the heat in summer the someone tells me wears you out. I am 46 yo so that is a consideration doing labor work. It pays 17 per hr to start and its a union gig, I wonder what to do when its winter and I have no work. But I can only do what I can, since the corp world does not want me anymore. To sum it up " no choice".
I was about to be a bus driver part time but was way too honest in my personality access test, I answer as a not perfect person would, you know sometimes I call in sick when I am not like twice in one year and sometimes don't like to be around people all the time.
I thought being honest would get me further down the chain but I was rejected within one hour by email. I did the answers honestly since I thought the software would weed out all the bull crap people who say the never call sick or love everyone they work with.

For those of you here who think a job only pays 20-30 bucks an hour is for losers you need a reality check outside your cubicle. Only a small amount of time can bring you from a hire able person to someone who has to borrow money to live, I am applying for more public assistance soon. It was that tranlink thread where 20-30 bucks per hour is tiny money. What world are you living in to say that?

You should go to these job fairs where so many younger , better looking people are out to get that cushy, comfortable white collar job and know your time has run out in the field. It will make you look at people who do bus driving, cleaning, and labor work different. Its a young person's world once you get past 40 something.

I don't think it's a young person's world. I was out of work for five years and when I turned 56 I landed a job for 98K - four years later I am pulling in 120K and being interviewed for jobs in the $130K range. Some businesses are looking for maturity and experience - I feel bad for the 30 something age group